The Washington critic., 1887-04-26
POLITICAL BLACKMAIL.

UiltN OF Iresldent NlcNclanl 10 any Oh MS re-
cent predecessors, In his manner of using the
patronage of the Government, cannot conceal
from ourselves, nevertheless, that II Is in the
highest degree dangerous to enter on the last
year Of his service without giving the public
good many conspicuous examples between
now and June, Is =, o. the lild Of adminis
tration he had in mind when he wrote his
celebrated letter ;o George William Curtis
and others. Numerous
dismissals have hccp mndr, or are being
made, which are iu.t h- bad, from ovrry point
OF view. moril. pollt!ral and administrative
as any thit occurred under Giant or Cur
field, or that wrud have occurred unler
blaine Thl. tuwnwgri c,'irsc must be AZ
rested II We are Geo have i.'i over u-til-
IN. Y. Eyruug Post
The intcrnrcuiiou Nv be put up1u
this admohilury language IS that Pres.
ilent Cleveland at this particular time
is paying more attention To the Demo-
cratic party than he is 10 the Mug.
wuu ps; and that although he may have
cancelled all the obligations that he
was under to the latter in 1884 he must
plnoate them by farther concessions If
he expects 10 have their support In
1883. So that the aimonilion is accom-.
panied by a threat aud both are based
upon alleged dcrelictions to the grea,
cause of Civil Service Reform.
We were not aware before that mat.
tiers and things at Washington were in
so bad q shape as our esteemed con.
temporary asserts. II had never oc.
CURED 10 us that Mr.. Cleveland was
outrivaling Grant and Garfield, AMI
even the possibilities of Blaine, by the
fagrancy and npardonableness of his
dismissals from office. We are scarcely
prepared TO believe 1t yet. 1t is quite
natural, however, that he should be
making room as fast as possible for the
clamorous Democratic friends who
have been complaining with more or
less justice that they have already been
kept out In the cold too long; and that
he should, indeed, prefer Democrats to
Republicans, all other things being
equal, is not unreasonable, nor is II at all
incompatible with the highest possible
efficiency of the civil service.
Yet ''this downward course must be
arrested" says the Post, ''if we are to
have 1884 over again" That is, If Mr..
Cleveland hopes to get the "Independ.
ent' influence and strength at the next
election that he had at the last, he must
stop turning Republicans out of Of.
fee and take particular pains to fill all
vacancies with Mug wumps," giving
the Democrats the same cold shoulder
that "he had In mind when he wrote
his celebrated letter to George William
Curtis"
For the audacily of this advice we
are aware of no parallel. May we not
say that for the want Of principle 1t in-
wolves, 1t discounts all precedeuts?
Here 1t Is within a little over yenr
of the meeting of the next Democratic
National Convention, from which and
from no other Mr.. Cleveland must re-
ceive denomination IL he consents t,
run. Yet as he enters upon the las,
year of his term, when 1t is more than
ever incumbent upon him to stan
by the great party which proposes To
stand by him, the Mugwump warning
goes forth that unless he snubs hi
party friends and forfei,s their con.
fdence, he can no longer have the sup
port of the New York EgeaiRg Pos
and George William Curtis.
More than this, he Is Informed in SC
many words that the high price they
thus put upon their services must b.
paid In advauce-"betwee now and
June, 1888"
Can language be palmer or impu
dence be more sublime?
In view of the degrading proposition
thus made to the President TO assur,
himself Of Mugwump support by {
more liberal distribution of patronage
outside of his own party, 1t is not t
be wondered at that Mr.. Cleveland ha
had enough of the Presidential oflic
and thinks seriously of declining re
nomination.
COLONEL CHARLES w. MoULToN, th,